Improvement in self-feeding cotton-gins



1Samu (twist.

JULES ALFRED GHAUFOURIER, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

Letters Patent N 101,709, dated Apr/il 12, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN' SELF-FEEDING- COTTON-GINS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part o the same.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JULES ALFRED GHAUFQURIER, of Paris, in the vFrench Empire, advocate, have in-` vented A new or Improved Continuous Self-Feeding Cotton-Gin, and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the saine, reference being had to the annexed sheets of drawing making a part of the saine.

My invention relates toi inprovements in machinery for ginning cotton, by means of which a continuous and self-acting feed is obtained. The machine is of simple construction, and is arranged so as to prevent breakage of the fibers of cotton, and further does not require supervision, and one man may easily manage several machines in motion.

This improved gin is composed of a framing, carr ing the principal parts, consisting- First, of two ginning-rollers, of small diameter, between which the lap of cotton passes deprived of the seeds, which are discliai'ged withoutbeing crushed.

Secondly,- oftwo drawing-rollers, placed immediately behind the ginning-rollers, and sei-ying to draw out the lap of cotton after it has been deprived of the seeds.

Thirdly,v of two cleaning rollers, with flexible casings, which `are kept in constant cont-act with the drawing-rollers, for the purpose of cleaning the same, and at the same time preventing the lap of cotton from coiling around said rollers.

Fouitlily, of an endless web, traveling over rollers within a receptacle, and furnished with inclined cardteeth, by the aid of which the cot-ton is fed in a continnous manner to the ginniiig-rollers. In order to obtain a uniform lap on the endless web provided with the inclined card-tecth,1 provide a beatercylinder,

turning at a high speed and in the reverse direction to the endless web, which beater, by the aid 'ot' its arms of pallets, prevents any excessive quantity of raw material being presented to the ginning-rollers by the card-teeth.

Lastly, I provide a fan at the upper part of the machine, for introducing cold air between the giiiningrollers, and serving at the same time to keep all the .parts cooled and prevent the heating of the cotton.

My invention will be readily understood by reference to the accompanying diawings.

In Figure 1, which is a central vertical section of the gin, I have shown only the principal parts'without any of the driving-gear attached.

a, framing of the machine, carrying the whole of the working parts.

b, receptacle, placed in front of the machine, in which the raw uiiginned cotton is placed.

In this receptacle are mounted the rollers c cl c", carrying an' endless traveling web, rl, provided with -terial fed by the endless web being returned to thel receptacle.

g, fan, turning at a high. speed, tor injecting cold air onto the ginning-rollcrs, for the purpose of cooling the saine, and at the saine time prevent the cotton becoming heated. This fan-blast mavalso serve for D I u n directing the cotton to the giniiing-rollers h, between which it passes in the forni of a lap deprived of the i, rollers for drawing ont the lap of ginncd cotton.

j, cleaning-rollers, covered with leather', or' other flexible material. 'lhese rollers turn in cont-act with the drawing-rollers t, for the purpose of cleaning the saine, and at the same time to prevent the cotton from coiliiig on the drawing-rollers.

The following is the action ofthe machine:

The raw or iinginned cotton is first placed in the receptacle l), and the machine set in motion; The endless traveling web 1l, by means of its inclined cardteeth, then takes np a quantity of the i'aw cotton, which isspread in a iniif'orin thickness by the beater f, and presented to the action of the ginning-rollers h, while any seeds that may still adhere .are prevented from passing between said rollers h. The lap of cleaned cotton then passes between the drawing-rollers t', and away out of the machine, while the seeds fall into a receptacle provided for the purpose.

It will be understooil that the ginningfrollcrs h seize the cotton at the saine rate as it is supplied by the endless traveling web and deprive it of the seeds. It is then immediately seized a second time by the upper drawing-roller i', between it and the lower ginning-roller h. The cotton is then again seized at a third point between the upper and lower drawing-rollers. The cotton being thus seized almost simultaneouslyr at these three points during the ginning operation, is subjected to constant pressure anda continuous drawing action throngl'iout the length of the fiber, which is thus preserved entire. v

I would remark that the endless web not only serves for feeding the'ginning-rollers, but also'to prevent their becoming choked by too large a supply of naterial being fed in at a time, any excess being carried away by the circular mot-ion of the traveling web. I also reserve the right of using a small beater or other suitable device, as hereinafter described, for regulating the supply of cotton to the ginniiig-rollers.

Having now described the action of the working parts of the improved machine, I will proceed to explain thethe mode of' imparting motion to the various parts as they would be actually arranged in practice.

' In the drawing, I have only shown one strippingcylinder instead of two, it being placed'between the two drawing-rollers, which it strips, and also serves to open the cotton. As the endless web,.before referred to, would require to be placed at varying distances from the giuning-rollers, I employ a stretcher or other meau's for keeping said endless web in constant tension. I have also shown a small beater for detaching the cotton raised by the endless web.

Figure 2 of the drawings shows a side of the improved machine; and

Figure `3, a section of l Figure 4, which is a plan of the machine.

The same letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.

' m, driving-shaft, turning in bearings in the side frames. This shaft may either be driven by hand by means of a crank, or by a strap passing roundpnlley n.

o, loose pulley. A

p, toothed wheel, keyed at one end of driving-shaft m. Thewheel p gears with a smaller toothed wheel, q, keyed on one end of a shaft, yr, for imparting motion thereto.

At the other end of this shatt is keyed a large wheel, s, gearing with a pinion, t, fig. 4, keyed on one end of the fan-shaft u. The latter, by the arrangement of gearing above described, may be driven at the desired speed.

A small pinion is keyed on one end of the lower ginning-r'oller h, gearing with wheel s. The other end of roller h also carries a pinion,v (seen in fig. 1,) which gears with a pinion, -v, of the same diameter, keyed `on the end ofthe upper ginuing cylinder h, Iig. 4.

In this manner said ginning cylinders are caused to rotate in opposite directions, as indicated by the arrows, igs. 1 and 3.

A pinion, z, iig. l, is also keyed in front of pinion -v, gearing with a pinion, y, keyed on the end of the lower drawing-rollerj.

Lastly, there is a pinion keyed on lower drawingroller j, behind the pinion g, and gearing with a pinion,z, keyed on one end of the upper drawing roller t'. These gearing-wheels serve to drive the ginning and drawing-rollers in the'direction indicated by the arrows.

I will now describethe mode of transmitting motion to the endless web provided with card-teeth, and also to the beater cylinder, cleaning-roller, and reed.

a', g. 3, reed, mounted on au axis turning in bearings on the framing, to which' reed an oscillating motion is imparted for freeing the cotton carried along -by the endless webI so as to -facilitate the seizure of the lap by the ginning-rollers It.

b', fork, keyed on one end ofthe shaft of reed al'.

d', pulley, turning on a spindle carried on the framing, said pulley being provided with an eccentric pin or stud, e', engaging in fork b.

f', pulley, keyed on the end of fan-shaft u.

g', pulley, keyed on the end of cleaning-roller j.

h', pulley, keyed on the end of beater f.

Au endless band or strap passing round the pulleys f, g, d, and h, as shown in tig. 2, serves for communicating rotary motion to the beater cylinder f and clearing-roller j, in the direction indicatedby the arrows. This endless band further communicates toand-fro motion to the reed a', by the aid of pulley d', pin c", and fork b.

I will next describe the mode of transmitting motion to the pulleys c c c", carrying 'the endless web d, having inclined card-teeth. A

i', pulley, mounted at the lower part of the framing or receptacle b.

On the axis of this pulley is mounted a small pinion, j', gearing with a toothed wheel, k', keyed on one end of the shaft of lower roller c, lround which web d passes.

Pulley i is set in motion -by a band, which also passes round a pulley, l', keyed on one end of shaft r, 'thel latter being driven as hereinbefore described.

I may, if desired, dispense with pulley i', pinion j', and toothed wheel k', and transmit the motion to roller c2, by means of a band, from pulley l' to a pulley keyed ou the axis of said roller`c2.

lnt', fig.v 2, screw for adjusting the position of roller c, and consequently of the inclined card-teeth of the endless web, with regard to the gnning-rollers, so as to leave sufficient space between the ginning-rollers and roller c, to allowthe seeds to fall through,.the latter varying in size, according to the kind oi' cotton.

yn', fig. 3, partition-plate, en one side of which the seeds fall, and on the other the ginned cotton.

I may, if desirable, employ a stretcher for keeping the endless web cl at a uniform tension on rollers c c1 c2 for insuring its continuous motion, notwithstanding the adjustment of roller c, above described.

o', fig. 3, roller placed at the end of twooscillating arms, which are adjusted at an angle more or less, so that the roller will bear against the inside ofthe end less web, and keep it stretched at the moment of adjusting roller c, as before explained. Ihi-u stretcher is adjusted in position by means ot' a crank, p', and ratchet andpawl g fr', mounted-outside the i'aming.

I also reserve the right of adding an endless apron, s', shown in dotted lines in iig. 3, at the bottom of receptacle b, and to which motion is imparted for supplying the raw or unginned cotton to the card-teeth d, so as to insure a continuous feed.

Instead of this arrangement, the side of the receptacle b may be inclined with the same object of keeping up the supply of raw cotton to the card-teeth.

Claims. 

